Damage & Decay

Chapter 15

Part two: Zombie Cards (Collect the Whole Set!)

"Everyone carries around his own monsters."

-Richard Pryor

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"The zombies are coming!"

Marco Bodt yelled at the top of his voice, and everyone ran. Marco ran side-by-side with Eren and Levi, the three of them blocking the pavement to keep the other kids from getting there first. It was a disaster, though. Zak Matthias deliberately tripped Marco, who went flying and whose flailing fingers caught the back of Moby's pants and accidentally pulled them down to his knees.

Moby wore stained drawers, and with his pants around his knees, he couldn't manage the next step, and he went down. So did Marco. The crowd of kids hit the pair, who were already on the ground, but they were in motion, and everyone knew there was no hope. They all went down.

Only Eren, Levi, and Zak were still running. Zak was halfway down the block. Eren looked back, hesitated, and grabbed Levi by the sleeve, mentally said Screw it, and ran even faster.

In the direction of the zombies.

They were at Lafferty's General Store. The Zombie Cards had arrived.

----

"Too bad about Marco," said Levi.

"Yeah," agreed Eren. "Nice kid. He'll be missed."

They sat on the top step of the wooden porch in front of Lafferty's. A shadow fell across them.

"You guys are a couple of total jerks," said Marco.

"Eel!" said Levi dryly. "It's a zom. Quick, run for your life."

Eren sipped from a bottle of pop and burped eloquently.

Marco kicked Levi's foot, hard, and sat on the wooden step between his two friends. He looked at the stack of cards that lay on the step between Levi's sneakered feet. There was a similar stack--two packs still unopened--in front of Eren. Waxed-paper wrappers were crumpled on the top step.

"The guy said they're sold out already," he complained grumpily.

"Yeah. Those darn kids, huh?" murmured Eren.

"He said you two monkey-bangers bought the last couple of packs."

"Guy's lying," said Eren.

Marco brightened. "What? He has some--?"

"We bought the last twelve packs," said Levi.

"I kinda hate you guys."

"He's going to start crying," Levi said to Eren in a stage whisper.

"He's going to embarrass himself," agreed Eren.

"What he's going to do," said Marco, "is start kicking your asses."

"Eek," said Levi through a yawn.

Eren pretended to scratch his ankle, but then he moved his sneaker, and there were four packs of Zombie Cards in a neat stack, the waxed-paper wrappers still sealed. Marco made a grab for them, ignoring the grins on his friends' faces.

"I still hate you," he said as he tore open the first pack.

"And yet," said Levi, "we'll find a way to pick up the pieces of our shattered lives and struggle on."

Marco made a very rude gesture as he sorted through the cards.

Zombie Cards were one of the few luxuries the boys could afford. In the next town--forty miles away, along the line of mountains--two brothers had set up a printing business. All hand-cranked stuff, because no one trusted electricity anymore, even when they could get it to work.